Arts Fell on Alabama

Brian Mast is the Education Outreach Coordinator at the University of Alabama’s Paul W. Bryant Museum in Tuscaloosa. In his work with the museum, he helps students, educators, and visitors engage with the history and culture of Alabama athletics through the museum’s collections, programs, and stories.

Mary Foster is a former Girls Rock Birmingham camper whose own life was shaped by summers spent learning instruments, playing music, and writing songs. Along the way, she also learned personal empowerment, self-expression, and tenacity. Now a University of Alabama student studying marketing, she’s returning to Girls Rock Birmingham as a mentor to help the next generation of young women find their voices through confidence, creativity, and collaboration.  
Special appreciation to Girls Rock Birmingham executive director Susie Cousins for coordinating the interview.  
About Girls Rock Birmingham 
Girls Rock Birmingham is a nonprofit program that fosters a solid foundation for young girls to grow confidently as individuals while developing rewarding musical skills. By participating in monthly workshops and a weeklong Girls Rock Camp each summer, the girls become empowered by their newfound abilities, self-awareness, and sense of belonging.  

Allison Grant is an artist, writer, curator based in Tuscaloosa where she is also an Associate Professor of Photography at The University of Alabama. She is a 2022 Alabama State Council on the Arts Fellow and a 2026 Guggenheim Fellow. Her photographs are held in collections and museums across the United States, and The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal have published her editorial photographs. 
Arts Fell on Alabama airs weekly on Troy Public Radio. © 2026 Alabama State Council on the Art.     

Vitalis Wagome is a Kenyan musician and educator who left medical school to pursue music. A graduate of Alabama State University, he now teaches while continuing his graduate work and mentoring young people through music, a path he began in Nairobi’s underserved communities. He plans to return to Kenya to build a conservatory and expand access to music education. 
 
Arts Fell on Alabama airs weekly on Troy Public Radio. © 2026 Alabama State Council on the Art.    

Scott Wright is a singer, conductor, composer, actor, patron, and arts advocate. He currently serves as general and artistic director of Mobile Opera and is general director emeritus of the International Performing Arts Institute in Bavaria, Germany. He has performed in numerous operas, operettas, and musical theatre productions. His favorite role in opera, however, is that of conductor — always a challenging and rewarding experience.  
Special appreciation to Stefani Priskos, Director of the Alabama Center for Traditional Culture at the Alabama State Council on the Arts, for conducting the interview.   
Arts Fell on Alabama airs weekly on Troy Public Radio. © 2026 Alabama State Council on the Art.     

George Culver is a producer, arts administrator, and the former executive director of Talladega’s Ritz Theatre. His innovative approach to theatre programming and background as a producer helped transform the Ritz into an indispensable cultural asset for audiences throughout East Alabama.  
Special appreciation to Stefani Priskos, Director of the Alabama Center for Traditional Culture at the Alabama State Council on the Arts, for conducting the interview.  
Arts Fell on Alabama airs weekly on Troy Public Radio. © 2026 Alabama State Council on the Art.    

Yogi Dada is a multidisciplinary artist whose work spans painting, poetry, music, and wearable art. Inspired by her mother’s early lessons and shaped by years of creative exploration, she transforms personal memory and emotion into bold, colorful earrings she calls “Dadas.” Based in Center Point, Ala., her custom jewelry tells stories of resilience, identity, and self-expression. Learn more at YogiDada.com.
Arts Fell on Alabama airs weekly on Troy Public Radio. © 2026 Alabama State Council on the Art.   
 

Ashley Jeffcoat is the owner and fiber artist behind Paper Crane Yarns, a hand-dyed yarn studio based in Calera, Alabama. Working from her self-described “secret lab of wonderment,” she creates small-batch colorways inspired by a wide range of influences including literature, film, video games, and natural landscapes. Her distinctive yarn collections serve as a foundation for connection and creative exchange, and Ashley’s homey cottagecore shop fosters a sense of community among local and visiting makers alike. See her creations and more at papercraneyarns.com. 
Arts Fell on Alabama airs weekly on Troy Public Radio. © 2026 Alabama State Council on the Art.   
Eight-bit sound effect by freesound_community from Pixabay. 
Music by Dvir Silverstone from Pixabay. 

Gary Waldrep is best known for his skill as a banjo player, performing and preserving the traditions of bluegrass and old-time music. He has also worked as a teaching artist for several decades and has received multiple grants through the Alabama State Council on the Arts’ Folk Arts Apprenticeship program.  
Special thanks to Anne Kimzey, folklorist and literary arts program manager at the Alabama State Council on the Arts, who interviewed Mr. Waldrep for this episode. Music provided courtesy of Gary Waldrep. 
Arts Fell on Alabama airs weekly on Troy Public Radio. © 2026 Alabama State Council on the Art.  

Eric Essix is a guitarist and recording artist who lives and works in Birmingham, Alabama. He has released 29 albums to date maintaining a steady flow of new music that continues to push the boundaries of contemporary jazz. He has toured extensively with his own band, the Eric Essix Group, and with dozens of A-list artists as a sideman. In 1991, he was the youngest musician to be inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. Building on a foundation of faith and heritage, Essix continues to produce new music and participate in educating and mentoring the next generation of Alabama’s jazz musicians.  
People Get Ready was used with permission from Eric Essix. 
Arts Fell on Alabama airs weekly on Troy Public Radio. © 2026 Alabama State Council on the Art. 
 

Gary Chapman is professor emeritus of painting and drawing at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. As an artist, he’s had an extensive career marked by solo and group exhibitions at national and international venues, as well as numerous grants and artist fellowship awards. He is a recipient of the 2026 Arts Impact Award from the Alabama State Council on the Arts. Learn more at garychapmanart.com. 
Special thanks to Dr. Laura King for conducting the interview. 
Arts Fell on Alabama airs weekly on Troy Public Radio. © 2026 Alabama State Council on the Art. 

Debbie Bond is an internationally performing blues musician who splits her time between England, France, and Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Along with Michael McCracken, she co-founded the award-winning Alabama Blues Project, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting and preserving the state’s blues heritage. The organization’s blues education initiatives have included in-school and after-school programs, exhibitions, workshops, and live Alabama blues showcases, impacting tens of thousands of people of all ages. 
Special thanks to Laura King, who conducted the interview. “Enjoy the Ride” used courtesy of Debbie Bond. 
Arts Fell on Alabama airs weekly on Troy Public Radio. © 2026 Alabama State Council on the Art.